Kingston General Hospital

Infobox Hospital
Name = Kingston General Hospital
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Region = Kingston
State = Ontario
Country = Canada
HealthCare = Public Medicare (OHIP)
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Emergency =
Affiliation= Queen's University
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Founded = 1832
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Website = http://www.kgh.on.ca/
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The Kingston General Hospital (KGH) is a major hospital in Kingston, Ontario that is affiliated with Queen’s University.

History

1800s

In 1832 an Act of Parliament named a commission to "superintend and manage the erection and completion of a hospital in or near the town of Kingston". In 1835 the first building was completed on the site where KGH stands today, on land purchased from Archdeacon George O'Kill Stuart. The building, designed to accommodate 120 patients, remained unoccupied until three years later when the city had the money to buy equipment and furnishings. In 1838 the hospital cared for its first patients, twenty wounded Americans taken prisoner in the Battle of the Windmill during the Rebellion of 1837. KGH served as Canada's first Parliamentary building. Parliament met in the hospital from the time of the Union of the Provinces of Upper and Lower Canada from 1841 until 1844. The building returned to its original purpose and in 1845 began its full-time continuing operation as a hospital. A housekeeper-nurse had one helper, the Female Benevolent Society provided volunteers and doctors took turns offering their services free-of-charge. The hospital cared mainly for the poor until the 1900s. The hospital's affiliation with the Queen's University Faculty of Medicine began in 1854. The Watkins Wing opened in January 1863 to treat patients with infectious diseases. Local businessman John Watkins donated funds for construction of the building. In 1886, the hospital launched a training program for nurses; the last graduating class was in 1974. The Nickle Wing (named after local businessman William Nickle) opened in April 1891. In 1894, the Doran Wing (then a women's hospital) began admitting patients. Its benefactor was foundry-owner Michael Doran. In 1886, KGH became the first Canadian hospital to purchase x-ray apparatus for medical use.

1900s

The KGH Women's Aid was founded in 1905 and within one year had 110 members. This organization, now known as the KGH Auxiliary, was one of the first of its kind in Ontario. In 1914, the Empire Wing opened with the hospital's first patient rooms designed for private accommodation, an indication that KGH was beginning to care for all members of its community, not just the poor. The Douglas Wing officially opened in October 1925. In 1947, the Victory Wing was completed. Patients from the Department of Veteran's Affairs were treated here; Victory also housed clinical facilities for the Ontario Cancer Foundation. The Angada Children's Hospital opened in 1953. The hospital chose the name Angada - an Arabic word meaning "to bring help unto you"- in recognition of the support of the "Shriners." In 1960, the hospital built the Walter T. Connell Wing, named after the longtime head of the Department of Medicine at KGH and Queen's University. Two more floors were added to the Connell Wing in 1970. The Fraser Armstrong Patient Centre, which offers a range of outpatient clinics, opened its doors in 1975. KGH opened its Emergency Department in 1976. In 1977, the Ronald C. Burr Wing opened with facilities for regional rehabilitation. In 1981, the T. Ashmore Kidd Wing opened with a new operating room, medical records and radiology facilities. Three years later, renovations made way for new facilities including laboratories, ophthalmology, prosthetics, endoscopy, renal unit and a pulmonary function lab; space for the KGH Auxiliary was also added. Named after a prominent Kingston couple known for their contributions to the community (and beyond), the Syl and Molly Apps Medical Research Centre opened in 1987. The Kidd/Davies Patient Tower and new main entrance made their debut in 1989. Among the services available in the new wing: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, the Renal Unit and Cardiac Services. New Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) equipment was installed at KGH in 1994, making Kingston one of Ontario's top regional diagnostic imaging centres. Major renovations to floors 9 and 10 of the hospitals Connell Wing were completed in 1995. The Same Day Admission Centre was built on Dietary 2 in 1997. Major renovations to Emergency Services area were completed in 1998.

2000s

Major renovations to the Syl and Molly Apps wing are undertaken in 2002. Sections D&E of the Emergency Department are renovated and opened in 2003. The Kingston Regional Cancer Centre integrates with KGH and becomes the Cancer Centre of Southeastern Ontario at KGH in 2004. The Centre for Advanced Urological Research opens at 62 Barrie Street in 2005. A replacement Magnetic Resonance Imaging machine is opened in 2005.

External links

* [http://www.kgh.on.ca/ Kingston General Hospital Homepage]